Jan 31, 2010

Crostinis are fun little bite sized appetizers which are little slices of toasted baguettes topped with whatever your heart desires. I like this healthy White Bean Topping drizzled with a little balsamic. You can make these ahead of time, the bread will store for a few days in an air-tight container. The white bean spread can be refrigerated a few days. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Cut the bread into 1/4" thin slices. You can toast these in the oven with a little olive oil spray at 400° turning once until toasted or grill them. I used my George Forman grill to toast them with a light spray of olive oil. Once the bread is toasted, lightly rub it with a garlic clove cut in half. Now your bread is ready to top.

Pureé in a small blender or magic bullet all the ingredients for the white bean spread. If it's too dry you can add a little more water.

Top each piece with 2 tsp of white bean puree and garnish with fresh thyme. Drizzle with a touch of balsamic right before serving.

Boy oh boy - another HIT!! Today I am having my family over for the October birthdays. I have created my menu from your recipes. These for apps, the black bean avacado salad, the sauteed brussel sprouts, and the beef stroganoff.

Talk about one stop shopping! My sis-in-law is Vegan, and those recipes are fantastic! It's the ease and the taste that I am enamoured with!

I just made the bean portion of this and it is amazing! I put in more garlic because I love garlic. I can't wait to try this tomorrow with the bread. I am bringing it to a balsamic tasting event so it will be perfect. I can't thank you enough for your recipes!!!!

Gina, I love you! :)My husband is from Italy and we had white bean crostini in Napoli 3 years ago.. I hadn't figured out how to duplicate it.. this was perfect, and I will guarantee less fat and calories than I had the first time.

This was absolutely delicious! I used this as the base of my crispy skin sea bass so that the fish sat on top of the puree skin-side up. I felt a bit indulgent so I added some black truffle oil and the thyme/olive oil/black truffles was absolutely intoxicating. I will definitely keep this for the future!!